The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-02
THE FIELD OF LITERATUR RE
Current Magazines.

opens with paper by Hon. W. E. Gladstone,
entitled "Universitas Homnum; or the Unity of
History" The scholarly and thoughtful char
acter OF this article is not more noticeable than
its devous religious tone. After consd ering
the great central web of design which runs
from Adam to our day" be saws stAt 'sundry
dmes and in diver manners, sometimes by con-
scious and sometimes by unconscious agencies,
this purpose is wrought out Persons and ma
tons who have not known one another
nevertheless cooperate and contribute TO a com
mon fund available for their descendants and
themselves. That, together with powers
and resources, responsibilities must IN
crease. is almost trusm. That there
Is such increase in the sum total
u powers and resources extraneous 20 ourselves
appears also undeniable. 1t seems then as If the
Almighty Ruler were now raising dis claims
upon His creatures and demanding at least the
larger usury which these larger gfts should earn.
Whether there Is a sponGing increase In
the available brain forces of the world and its
moral energies. is question perhaps only TO De
answered with qualification, even some
nisgivine. But il will have been usefully put
If il lead Us bow ourselves down as in dust
and ashes befor the one source of strength, and
If il remind that the humblest man should
ALSO under the Christian dispentation. be the
strongest man, though it Is IN a strength not bis
)wn.r
Henry Irving writes Concerning Shak-
speare.s The actor, as might be supposed. IS
very ardent in his love for the bard or Avon,
and repudietes with scorn all theories which
Of the immortal plays. Rev. Henry NJ. Field
offers "a Last Word to Colonel Ingersol"
Under the head Of Possible Presidents Der.
man b. Eaton considers the qualifications or
President Cleveland, which, in his opinion,
should entite him to a denomination. Other
papers are Dissent in England" by Rev. Joseph
Parker; 1.-THE Coming Civilization" by Felix
Oswald; ireland and the Victorian Era, by
Alexander Sullivan; IAN Election in New
York,,by Edgar J. Levey; Land steslins IN
sorry Voting Demanded" by Harris J. Clinton;
presidential Rand-shakng," by C. L. Norton;
National Plague Spots.' by George Nelson;
"Our National Digestion" by Godfrey Champlin;
"No SectariaD Public Schools" by jeremiah
Qusp; DUTY of Leaders or Christian Thought.
Ry ana
men and Rsformers," by c. K Whipple.
The variety OF topics discussed in Popular
Science Monthly for December shows that the
editorial idea of what constitutes popular science
ia liberal The opening paper, entitled
Inventions at Panama" describes the machin-
cry used in excavating the canal. 1t is &C
companed with illustrations Professor Huxley,
In Science and Practical Life" argues that all
necessary practical benefits will follow if
scientific studies pursued from a love OF
them. The Rise of the Granger Movement
10 brief history of that celebrated farmers
party whose influence so passed away An
autobioeraphical chapter from the life of Charles
Darwin, just published. describes that scientists
boyhood. According to bis own story, he
dull boy. and showed sign in his youth of the
turn his mind was to take later. Other articles.
an American Cinque- Foils." by Grant Allen;
Thought and LANGUAGE" by Daniel Greeneaf
Thompson, and .'Our Forestry Problem" "a
Great Lesson, by the Duke of Argyll, treats of
he mistakes made by Darwin in his theories
concerning the coral reefs of the Pacific. In
"The Danger of Receiverships," Fl. w. Barto1
points out the danger of permitting these Off
tials to handle such trust property as if it were
their own, and instances the numerous cases of
railroad wrecking arising ont of the ease with
which the control of corporation affairs can be
thrown into receivers hands. After enumerat-
Ing the property duties of such trustees the
chief one being the handling of the property in
such q way to occasion the least injury all
creditors, he concludes follows:
at is not intended in this article to reflect
she judiciary. who probably have done the best
shey could under circumstances really foreign
to their training and duties, aud who have nat
urslly left matters pretty much to their officers
the receivers; is it meant to imply that in
some cases, the timely protection OF the court
has not been of great advantage to the creditors;
but when III the of the Logansport,
Crawfordsville & South western Railroad Com
pany we see the firstmortgage bondholdsrs de-
prived of the management OF their property
and it SO loaded with receivers certificates that
when il is sold they swallow M every cent:
when, as in the of the Vicksburg &
Meridian Railroad Company, we find the
ceiver not only buying new rails, but changing
the gauge of the whole line; when. in cases
neaSer home. we find receivers using the bond
holders money to pay leased lines and issuing
ear-trusrs to increase the equipment, is it not
time to call halt, and ask both the courts and
the people to consider what they are doingF
The American Magazine for December is
phatically a Christmas number. Upon the
cover is a representation of the sculptured head
of Christ. as executed by Launs Thompson.
The opening article is upon the subject of
''Christ Ideals in American Art" by VIM. Fl.
TnC MANY artists have eseaved IN nor
tray their conception of the Savior of men. but
few have succeeded in fixing upon canvass or in
stone a sem blance to their ideal which was sat
isfactory either to themselves or the public.
The efforts of those who have approached most
nearly to a realization Of the vague image of
Christ in the minds of men, are described in de-
tail, and illustrations given in Mr.. 1nGersoll's
article. It is peculiarly interesting paper
Christmas in the Grand Army; by Number
Eight" are "reminiscences of the first
Christmas spent in the field by the volunteers
of 1861. Another distinctive holiday sketch
"Walton's Christmas Gift" an amusing story
in which leap-year plays part q l.. White
describes the discovery of natural gas in Find
lay. o., and the methods by which it has since
been utilized. The paper is we'll written, and
of considerable interest, but savors rather too
much of advertisement for the Ohio town.
In Salmon Fishing on the Cascapeda. R. F.
Hemenway gives a splendid description of that
sport. The attractions of the region, pictured
in text and engraving, give the impression that
it is a paradise for fishermen and adventurous
tourists. Other contributions are "a Chat
with the Good Gray Poet" by Cyrus Field VIII
lard; 1.-THE Silver Relequary." by Lizzie ".
Champney; An Ancient Version of the Love
Story of Miles Standish," by Joel Venton; IA
Street in Old New Orleans and half dozen
poems of merit. An editorial jeSartment with
several original and attractive features, make
up a number of which much can be said in
praise.
The Christmas number of st. Nicholas con
tains the opening chapter Of story by Mrs.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, entitled 'Sara Crewe.
sr What Happened at Miss Mnchin's." The
heroine, little Sara, promises to be as interest
ing in her way that world wide f,4brite.
Little Lord Fauntleroy." 1.-THE Clocks of !
Rondaine," an imaginative lttleStal by Frank
Stockton, is intended to convey y lesson which
many little people, we'll older ones. should
heed. Hjalmar Hiorth Boyeson contributes an |
amusing account of ''The Bear Who Had Bank |
Account" aud J. T. Trowhridea tells '.How the |